Category: Reviews & Giveaways

I love teaming up with other artists and makers to share their products. Here I share products that I have discovered and love, and I often pair product reviews and giveaways. Be on the lookout for more posts in this category for the opportunity to win amazing, handmade products.

As an Etsy and Teachers Pay Teachers seller, I know how difficult, time consuming, yet amazing it is to be a part of the handmade sellers market. I pour myself into each work of art I create, and there is nothing better than when I find someone who truly appreciates what I make. Support your local small business, spread the love, and find unique products you can’t find anywhere else.

Would you like for me to checkout your products and share them with my readers? I love teaming up for reviews and giveaways. E-mail me at [email protected]

I was recently contacted by April Williams of Eluna Jewelry Deigns to do a review of her hoop earrings. It has been a long time since I have blogged about product reviews and I love to help out fellow Etsyers, so I jumped at the opportunity.

When I first opened April’s e-mail I saw basic hoop earrings. I immediately thought to myself, they look nice, but what makes them special? I then noticed a little loop at the end of the earring, rather than a straight piece and back clasp. After reading through the details I realized these hoops were clasp free.

As a very bad jewelry owner, clasp free anything is ideal. I have lost so many earring backs simply taking my earring off. There must be a black hole hidden in the tile of my bathroom. As the earring back falls I hear the final “ping” as it hits the floor, never to be heard from or seen again. Then there are the days where halfway through my workday a student will ask why I only have one earring on. Somehow they jump out of my ears and with my daily routine of being everywhere on campus, there is little to no chance of recovery.

Long story short, I was on board with this product before April shipped it to me. I couldn’t quite grasp how these would work, I am a visual learner, but figured it couldn’t be too complicated. April shipped them out and I eagerly awaited their arrival.

I opted for the medium size sterling silver backless hoop earrings. All of her products are made from quality metals such as sterling silver, 14 kt gold, copper, and niobium, a metal I had never heard of. I learned it is a hypoallergenic metal that can come in multiple colors. Since I am lacking a set of hoops (crazy, I know) in my earring collection, I thought this was the best way to go. I also like to review the “bread and butter” products of a seller, since these are typically the most moved and most popular items.

As soon as the package arrived I handed the babies over to my hub and ran upstairs to try them on. The package included instructions, the earring should be placed through the back of my earring hole. What should have clicked as soon as I pulled up images of her jewelry finally clicked when I had the earrings and instructions in hand. You thread the non-loop end through the back of your ear and the loop rests agains the back of your lobe.

My immediate reaction was, “well this isn’t going to be easy.” But it was much better than I expected. It only took a few tries to line it up before it came through. Since then I have gotten much better at the process, and I have to admit I have had a lot of practice wearing these over the last two weeks.

The size was just what I was looking for and the wire is nice and thin. The earrings are incredibly light and look delicate. It’s so nice to have this basic style in my collection, they have become regulars in my rotation.

I am also a big fan of the fact that April makes and ships these out of Raleigh, NC. I love supporting fellow artists and local, handmade, southern products. Her prices are extremely reasonable, this style lists for just $20.

In addition to sending me a pair to try out, April has also sent me a pair to giveaway to one lucky reader. All you have to do is visit April’s Etsy shop here or website here and comment below with your favorite item. You can get one bonus entry if you subscribe to my blog (simply fill out the form at the bottom of this post) and follow her Etsy shop, comment again letting me know you are following both of us. The winner will be randomly selected on Sunday, April 29th. They will have 24 hours to respond to my e-mail before another winner is selected.

With my many craft fairs on the horizon, I had been on the lookout for an affordable stamp company to order a customized stamp from. For two out of the three craft fairs I’m participating in, I have to provide my own display, transaction tools, and packaging. I have been on a long journey to brand myself and appear to be a professional artist crafter (although the majority of the time I am going through trials and errors, running around like a crazy person). To come across as professional, and put together, I wanted my packaging to reflect my brand. I love the look of the brown, recycled bags, and wanted to personalize them with a Sweet Celadon or Whitney Panetta themed stamp. Shortly after my search began, I was contacted by a stamp company, called Stampanda, about reviewing one of their products. It couldn’t have been better timing, and they offered customized options. The deal was sweetened even further when they agreed to pair the review with a giveaway for my readers.

Stampanda is an online website, based out of Florida, that offers a range of stamp products from kitchen themed to bridal. Their website is easy to navigate, and offers beautiful product pictures to tempt you the entire way. They boast high quality products, made by hand, in the USA, at a very speedy rate.

They have a variety of shapes and styles to their stamps. You can find girly swirls and flowers, as well as trendy, and quirky, mustache and bird themes. You can buy stamps for your envelopes, to claim books, thank you cards, save the dates, kitchen tags, and anything else you want to stamp. They also have a wide variety of inks and stamp holders to choose from. You can go more traditional, with the separate ink and wood handled stamp, or go modern with an all in one, self inking stamp.

With every design, you have customizable options. You can choose a design that allows you to edit a single line, to keep it simple, or 3 or more lines, to include more information. I was on the hunt for something a little different. I needed a design that represented my brand, as well as a size that would show up well on a bag. I tried out multiple designs before settling on my little bee.

This design allowed me to add 4 different lines of text, which was perfect. I added my shop name, “Sweet Celadon”, at the top of the circle, and “by Whitney Panetta”, at the bottom of the circle. I really wanted to include my tagline, “perfection is overrated, buy handmade,” but couldn’t find a way to fit it. I eventually decided simply having, “perfection is overrated,” was enough to get my point across. I wasn’t sure what to add to the final line, until my hub suggestion I include our zip code. It was a sneaky way of saying, made in Georgia. It was perfect.

By the time my transaction was complete, and my stamp was in my hand, I decided Stampanda could stand up to all of their claims. My order was processed quickly, and arrived less than a week later. The stamp was very high quality, and exactly what I was hoping for. I am so excited to finally have my own stamp to personalize my bags. This stamp will be put to good use, and will hopefully be used a lot in the coming holiday months.

If you live in the state of Georgia, or Atlanta area, come see my beautiful stamped bags for yourself. The Marist Holiday Traditions art and craft fair is this Saturday, 11/8/14, the Marietta Whimsical Wares is next Wednesday 11/12/14-Sunday 1116/14, and the St. Pius X Holiday Marketplace is Saturday, 11/23.

You could win your own, fully customizable stamp, by following a few steps and commenting below. To enter, visit Stampanda and check out their products, then like their facebook page here. Comment below with the name you liked their facebook page under. To get a second entry, visit my facebook page here, like it, then comment (in a separate comment) below with the name you liked my page under. For a third entry, follow one of my Etsy shops, Whitney Panetta or Sweet Celadon, and comment below (in a separate comment) with a link to your favorite product.

The winner will be randomly selected using the plugin, “And the Winner Is…”, next Friday 11/14/14. The winner will be e-mailed, and will have 24 hours to confirm. Once they confirm, I will send over their coupon code for their free custom stamp. If the winner does not respond in 24 hours, a new winner will be selected. Good luck!

Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog. Help me spread the word about arts and crafting, art giveaways, and visual journals by sharing on your social network site of choice. Thanks for stopping by!

This month I am very excited to offer an amazing giveaway from Canvas Champs at canvaschamp.com. There is nothing better than hanging a personal picture in your home, and I love the look of the ever popular, canvas photo prints. It takes a photograph to the next level, giving it an artistic and high quality look.

When I was contacted by Canvas Camps to review their product I didn’t hesitate. I was thrilled when they also decided to offer a giveaway to one of my lucky readers. Check out details below.

I went through picture after picture trying to decide what to get printed. I could do a photo from Nick and my engagement session, wedding day, honeymoon. I could print a picture of our puppies or chickens. It was a tough choice, but in the end I decided to go with one of my more generic photographs, a picture of pretty, green succulents.

As soon as I snapped the picture I was in love with it. My favorite colors are included, from the shadows to the highlights, and I was very pleased with the composition. It was also taken on a recent trip to San Diego. It was my first time visiting, and it captured a memory of a fun adventure. I sent the picture off, and eagerly awaited its arrival.

A very short week later the package arrived on my doorstep. I couldn’t believe how quickly it came. I opened it up, and was very pleased with the outcome. The print was clear, the colors were perfect, and it was a print from an Iphone photo. The print was printed to the edge, and wrapped, making framing an option rather than a requirement. I also immediately noticed unlike other canvas print shops this print was mounted on a wood panel. This made the print even more sturdy, without the risk of the canvas ever being punctured.

The prints come ready to hang, all you need is a hammer, nail, and a wall. All in all I was very pleased with the ordering process, shipping speed, and product. I will definitely be placing my future photo print orders with Canvas Champs.

To enter to win your own, personalized, 10″x8″ canvas print all you have to do is share this link via Facebook or Twitter and comment below with a link to your share. The winner will be randomly selected using the plugin “And the Winner Is…” next Thursday 9/11/14. The winner will be notified via e-mail, if they do not respond in 24 hours a new winner will be selected. Good luck and thanks for stopping by!

With Father’s Day right around the corner, I thought what better way to prepare than to host a giveaway of a Lifetime Leather Co. product? The wonderful Ty Bowman has generously agreed to giveaway one of his most popular products, the standard size, cognac leather toiletry case, complete with a monogram personalization. To find out how to enter read below!

My wonderful husband, Nick, just turned 28. After 9 years together, and almost 4 years of marriage, I often have to get creative with my gift giving. Many of the things he has on his wish list are items I either know nothing about (a new bumper for the truck, bed extender, or new wheels) or can’t afford (like a new bumper, bed extender, or new wheels). In moments like these I turn to the internet and begin looking around, hoping something will strike me.

It was just one of those instances that brought me to Lifetime Leather Co. on Etsy. I had already “favorited” a few items I liked for his birthday, when I came across these beautiful toiletry bags. Nick currently keeps his hair clippers, electric razor, and various other knick knacks in an old, beat up, black (but now it is really gray), toiletry bag. After having to look at that thing since we started dating, I decided it was time for a change. I selected the leather bag I wanted, typed in the NJP initials for the front and NP for the side, and placed my order.

I had already had a lot of contact with Ty. Ordering a personalized gift last minute made me nervous about the necessary delivery date before Nick’s birthday. He ensured me time and time again it would arrive by April 12th, 2 days before the big day, and he was true to his word. On April 12th the package arrived. I snuck it in the house and opened it up.

It truly is a work of art. The leather is a far higher quality than I was expecting. The color is dark and beautiful. The leather is soft and thick. The zipper has an understated, classic look. The bag feels durable, the inside is washable. I was tempted to keep if for myself, if only I hadn’t had Nick’s initials stitched into the side. The best adjective that comes to mind when I think about the leather is creamy. It feels creamy. Weird? Perhaps, but creamy certainly sounds nice. Everything about it was perfect.

Nick likes to joke that with every nice gift I give him, I am attempting to class him up. This bag certainly helps in that secret (not-so-secret) pursuit of mine. On his future business trips, vacations, or other outings, that require his toiletry bag to come along, he will look like one dapper fellow.

This bag is the perfect gift for any father, husband, son, or person of the male or female gender. I don’t doubt this item can withstand a lot of use, I think the beautiful leather will only get better with time. Enter below for a chance to win a personalized toiletry bag of your very own! The contest will end next Wednesday, 5/14/14.

To enter all you have to do is follow Ty on his Instagram here. Comment in a separate comment with the username you are following his Instagram under.

For a second entry all you have to do is visit Ty Bowman’s Etsy shop, Lifetime Leather Co., and like his shop. Comment below with the username you liked his shop under.

The contest will close at midnight on 5/14/14. The winner will be randomly selected using the plugin, And the Winner Is… The winner will be notified via e-mail, and will have 24 hours to confirm. If they do not confirm in the required time frame, a new winner will be selected and contacted. Thanks for taking the time to check out my blog and enter my giveaway! Help me spread the word about my blog and all these amazing Etsy shops by sharing with others.

This month’s Etsy shop review and giveaway hails from across the Atlantic, all the way from Brighton, England. Although in the past I have put my focus on handmade in the USA, I couldn’t help but notice the very modern, clean, and trendy jewelry designs in Jess’ shop, Fawn and Rose.

I discovered her jewelry during one of my endless, black holes of Etsy browsing. I immediately fell in love with the triangle shape, brass, and sea foam green necklace. As is typical of my Etsy loves, I bought it shortly after spotting it, and eagerly awaited it’s arrival.

An order arriving from another country is a long wait, but it was well worth it. The necklace was exactly as it was pictured, and I loved it even more in person. The clean design makes the necklace incredibly versatile. It can be dressed up or worn with jeans, and the neutral brass against the sea foam green creates a nice neutral palette with a subtle color pop, that goes with everything.

In addition to her beautiful jewelry, her products are also nicely wrapped. To my surprise, as I opened the package, I discovered an adorable business card, thank you and 10% coupon card, a small jewelry box that contained my necklace, and a tag that all matched. Her logo is clean and memorable, much like her jewelry. she has a keen eye for creating and marketing, I’m not surprised by her current 662 Etsy sale count.

I have already worn my necklace a handful of times since its arrival a week ago, and have already gotten many compliments. This necklace has already made its way into my regular jewelry rotation, it’s guaranteed to get a lot of wear in the coming years.

Jess has been incredibly generous and agreed to giveaway a silver triangle necklace to one of my lucky readers. Like the necklace I just bought, this necklace is very versatile and can be worn with a range of styles. This piece is a classic style with a modern twist.

All you have to do to enter is visit Jess’ shop Fawn and Rose here, “like” your favorite item, and share a link to the item in a comment below.

To receive a third entry share this giveaway on your preferred social networking site and include a link to your share in a separate comment below.

This giveaway will be closed next Thursday 4/3/14 at midnight. Thanks for taking the time check out my blog and enter this months giveaway! The winner will be selected and notified via e-mail next Friday, 4/4/14. If they do not respond in 24 hours a new winner will be selected. Good luck and don’t forget to check back for future giveaways